Friday, September 1, 2017

On 26 July 2017, Salt Lake City Police Detective Jeff Payne arrested Alex Wubbels, a Nurse at the University of Utah Hospital's Burn Unit. The video featured above has gone viral. Another lengthier version of the incident, recorded from a different view is included immediately below.

The police wanted to draw a blood sample from a patient who had been in a motor vehicle accident. This patient was unconscious (thus, by definition, patient consent was not possible), the patient was not under arrest, and there was no warrant (electronic or otherwise). These requirements (as per hospital policy and the law) were calmly conveyed (via speech and in writing) by Ms. Wubbels to the police officers.

Here is a portion of their dialog:

NURSE ALEX WUBBELS: Brad, I'm just putting you on speaker so you can. So, I have the, it says, "Obtaining blood samples for police enforcement from patients suspected to be under the influence", Okay? This is something that you guys agreed to with this hospital.

The three things that allow us to do that are if you have an electronic warrant, patient consent, or patient under arrest - and neither of those things - patient can't.

The patient can’t consent, he’s (Officer Payne) told me repeatedly that he doesn’t
have a warrant, and the patient is not under arrest. So I’m
just trying to do what I’m supposed to do - that’s all, so.” *

OFFICER JEFF PAYNE: Okay, So I take it without those in place, I’m not going to get blood? Is that - am, am I fair to surmise that?

Screaming and yelling follows as Officer Payne grabs Alex Wubbels by the under her arms from behind and shoves her through the [automatic] doors
to the outside the building where he then handcuffs her and takes her to a police vehicle.

From a body language perspective, the video is fairly limited. We have very minimal facial video of Officer Payne (in the second video). Omitting the physicality and violence associated with the arrest, and concentrating on the preceding events, there are few valuable nonverbal teaching moments, some of which are discussed here.

The image above is from 1:05 in the first video, just as Officer Payne says, "She’s the one that has told me 'no' ".

You'll note Nurse Alex Wubbels' abdomen, torso, head (and with high probability, her feet too) are not pointing at Officer Payne (his body camera is recording this video). Only her eyes are turned to meet him/his face. Human beings have a strong tendency to NOT look directly (e.g., not "whole body point") at people whom we:

Don't like

Don't respect

Don't trust

If we go back a few seconds to 0:41 (also in the first video, just after she says, "I’m
just trying to do what I’m supposed to do - that’s all, so" and as Officer Payne says "... Okay, so I take it ..."), we can see Nurse Wubbels just after she momentarily turned toward Officer Payne. She immediately turned her torso and head away while maintaining eye contact. Nuancing her facial expression further, we can see her:

Upper eyelids open widely

Lower eyelids tense

Flared Nostrils

Central Forehead Contracted

Eyebrows lowered

Although not fully expressed, Nurse Wubbels is displaying a face of fear (this was also expressed, but more subtly, in the first image).

In the second video, during 5:43 - 5:45, as Officer Payne says, "Okay, So I take it without those in place, I’m not going to get blood?", he is seen grabbing his own right wrist with his left hand as he gestures with his right hand in a palm-down fashion (this image was captured during 5:44 as he says "... without ...").

Gesturing with one's palm oriented downward carries an alpha emotional tone - and the added rapid oscillation elevates it to a hyper-alpha level. It's gesture of power and authority. A person using palm down-gestures has his mind made up. He cannot be reasoned with - for he's far from his emotional baseline.

The gripping of his own wrist here portends the violence which is about to occur. Officer Payne's attempt at self-control and his growing frustration with Nurse Wubbels is momentarily displayed with his own wrist acting as a temporary surrogate for her.

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This website serves as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.

This website serves as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.